Anorexia Defined

Anorexia.

Say that word and a hush may fall over the people around you.

It definitely has a stigma attached to it.

I was diagnosed with Anorexia Nervosa several years back.

I like food.

I eat food.

I always ate food.

So what really is anorexia?

Anorexia "is an eating disorder characterized by an abnormally low body weight, an intense fear of gaining weight and a distorted perception of weight. People with anorexia place a high value on controlling their weight and shape, using extreme efforts that tend to significantly interfere with their lives." - mayoclinic.org

 There are a lot of generalizations but every person is different. My eating disorder began as an obsession with clean eating, which is often termed "Orthorexia". Orthorexia, however, is not currently recognized as a diagnosable disorder. Therefore, I was diagnosed with Anorexia and I am not ashamed.

I have heard of girls who were upset with the diagnosis which I think just goes to show the stigma society has attached to it. Eating disorders vary so much that it would be impossible to have a different diagnosis for every variation. Anorexia is not a choice. It does not mean a person doesn't eat or like food.

It is a battle. It is a mental disease with the highest rate of mortality. It is one of the worst things I have gone through.

But a person is not their diagnosis. Do you refer to people diagnosed with cancer as cancer patients? Do you attach that label to them as a person? No. So why has society determined that is acceptable for eating disorders? Update: it's not.

If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, please seek help: https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/help-support

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